Closure for automobile radiators and the like



lMay 31, 1927.

, 1,630,897 J. JACQUES ET AL,

CLOSURE FOR AUTOMOBILE RADIATORS AND THE LIKE Oriinal Filed May 3, A1924 z- 52 7 NVENTOR:

Patented Mey 31, 1927. l i

1,630,897 rarest ori-fica..

JEAN JACQUES AND ADOLPI-I 1V. OSWALD, OF PIIILADELEHIA, PLE1I\T l.\l'SYLVAN'IA.

CLOSURE FOR AUTOMOBILE BADIATQRS, AND A[UI-IE LIKE.

Application led May 3, 1924, Serial No. 710,725. Renewed March 17,` 1926.

Qur invention relates to closure means for the inlets of automobile radiators, gasoline tanks, etc. The screw cap ordinarily used as a closure for automobile radiators or gasoline tanks, not only requires considerable time in effecting its. attachment and detachment, but is very often dropped, rolling under the machine and renderingv its recovery extremely annoying.

The main purpose of ou'r invention is to overcome the objections noted, and, with this end in view, to provide a closure means that may be economically manufactured, which is extremely attractive and ornamental in appearance, capable of being permanently secured to the inlet of a radiator or gasoline tank, and easily and quickly operated to permit access to the inlet for iilling without requiring removal or detachment of any of its parts. v

Other objects and attendant advantage will become apparent from the detailed description which follows ofwt'wo alternative embodiment-s typical of our invention, the appended claims serving to denne the features which we believe to be novel and therefore patentable.

In the drawings Fig. I is an illustration showing our improved closure applied to the inlet of an automobile radiator.

Fig. II is a rear view of the same with certain portions broken away.

Fig. III is a vertical sectional elevation takenalong a plane at right angles to Fig. I.

Fig. IV is a sectional view taken as indicated by the lines IV-IV in Fig. III.

F V is a sectional view corresponding to Fig. IV, of an alternative form of our invention; and

Fig. VI is a sectional view of the same taken a's indicated by t-he lines VI-VI in Fig. V.

Referring first tothe form of our invention illustrated in Figs. I-IVinclusive, the same will be observed to comprise a casing 1 with a through passage 2 that extends'v'ertically thereof for direct communication'with the inlet 8 of the automobile radiator partly shown at 11. The lower end of the casing 1 is circumferentially enlarged somewhat as at 5, and internally screw-threaded to enga-ge a corresponding thread G of the radiator inlet 3, a polygonal band 'i' about the base portion serving as an ornamentation as well as a means permitting engagement by a wrench in attaching. As a means to secure the closure device to the radiator inlet 8 with assurance against theft, we may employ setV screws 8 in tapped openings through the enlarged base portion 5, said screws being adapted to engage the radiator inlet asbest shown in F IV. After these set screws 8, are drawn up, liller plugs 9 are inserted in the open ends of the threaded apertures. iVhile a. closure device constructed as explained may be subst-ituted for the ordinary screw cap, it is quite obvious that other methods may be employed'for effecting permanent attachment in case of embodiment in a radiator during manufacture initially, as for example by soldering or welding to the inlet 3, or by constructing the casing 1 in integral formation with said'inlet. Somewhat above 'the base portion 5, the casing 1 is bulged to provide a horizontal cylindric shell '10` for housing a hollow plug valvel 11 preferably constructed with a separate back piece 12, Vthe two parts being secured together by screws 18. An annular shoulder 14 on the piece 12 engagesA an axial aperture in the contiguous end wall of the plugy valve 11 to determine and maintain the proper relative vpositions, of the two valve parts ina Amannerobvious from thel illustration. The

plug valve 11, it willibe observed, is conically 'tapered slightly for= fluid-.tight fit in the correspondingly configured seat therefor, and has diametrically aligned ports 15 which, when said valve is turned through a quadrant lto open position as shown in doteand-dash lines in F I, register with the through pasage 2 of the casing 1 and thereby establish direct communication with the inlet 3 for filling. Y Y

As shown in Fig. III, the end wall 16 of the hollow plug valve 11l opposite that attached .toy the piece 12 is axially apertured as at 17, to freely center about an integral lstud 18 projectingA from the base ofthe valve V'mally locked.

thorized tampering. As a further safe guard to this end, the serew 19 is initiallyv formed with a slotted head 22 shown in dotted lines in Fig. III, and immediately behind the head with a comparatively thin neck 23 which will readily permit the head 22 to be twisted or cut ott after the screw is driven home, thereby rendering subsequent removal ot thev screw 19 very difficult ot' aecoi'i'iplishment more especially on account ofthe shallow depth of the shoulder flange 21. Attaehn'ient ot the screw 19 is easy ot 'accomplislnnent by access had through the open end of the passage 2 when the ports of the valve plug 11 are brought into registry therewith. An arcuate segmental plate 24 projecting 'forwardly trom the back piece 12 ot the plu-g valve 11 and formed preferably as an integral part of the letter, serves as a cover for the open end of the through passage 2 when the plug valve 11 is in the closed position, see Figs. III and IV. The back piece 12 of the plug valve 11 is, in this instance, bulged somewhat as at 12a, Fig. Il, to facilitate attachment of a standard form of temperature indicating instrument such as comprehensively designatedY at 25, whose threaded shank 26 is screwed into a tapped opening 27 provided therefor in the bulge'12". The lower end ot the lthermometer 28 of the temperature indica-ting instrument is exposed in a passage 29 that communicates laterally with the hollow interior ot the plug valve 11, which interior is open to the radiator inlet 3 through a port 30 intermediate the ports 15 when said plug valve is in closed position. By this arrangement, the thermometer 28 is at all times directly subject to temperature conditionsexisting in the radiator 4. As a consequence ot its direct attachment to the plugvalve 11, the temperature indicating instrument 25 may be conveniently employed as a shifting handle.

In orderto lock the plug valve 11 in closed position against displacement through jarring kor otherwise, we employ a spring latch 31 bent to the rounded conliguration shown in Fig. Ill trom narrow strip metal, and anchored by a screw 32 to the top face of the polygonal portion 7 at the rear of the closure device 1. The outer or free end of 4the catch 31 is twisted at right angles to its major portion as indicated `at 33 to engage a narrow rperipheral notch 3.4 oit' the piece 12 and thus to hold the plug valve 11 nor- Depression of the catch 31 allowed by virtue of the clearance recess 35 in a lug 36 of the casing 1, results in release of the plug valve 11 for tree rotation in opening the same. The rotative movementof the plug valve 11 is limited by angularly spaced stop projections 37, 38 on the' back piece 12 that alternately engage the casing lug 3G and thereby respectively 'determine the open and closed positions. During closing of the plugvalve 11, the end 33 of the catch 31 merely rides on the periphery ot the back piecev 12 until it automatically slips into the notch 34 under the spring action when the stop projection 33 engages the lug 36 as shown in Fig. Il.

1t desired, the rontot the valve shell portion 10 ot the casing 1 may be spherically rounded as shown for better ornamental el1 tect, Yand employed vtor attachment o t an escutcheon 39, Figs. I and II, or any other characterizing or identifying symbol or device.

The alternative 'form of our invention, Figs. IV and V, is in general similar to the [irst described enibodin'ient, and the same reference numerals are therelore employed to designate those partsy which are identical.. The main differences to be pointed out are the omission ot provisions for attaching the temperature recording device 25, and the use ot' a knob 40 in lieu thereof to serve as an operating handle, said knob being attached centrally of the segmental plate projection 24 ot the plug 11 that covers the open end ot the through passage 2 in the casing 1.` The alternative form ot' our inven tion, as will be readily appreciated, while particularly adapted as a closure for gasoline tanks or the like, as well as in the connection described of the lirst torni when a temperature indicating device is not desired or deemed essential.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A closuretor the inlet of an automobile radiator, gasoline tank or the like, attording a. through passage, a plug valve interposed cross-wise of said passage, a back pieceon the plug valve vand a plate mem ber formed with said back piece for externally covering the passage when the valve is closed.

2. A closure for the inlet of an automobile radiator gasoline tank or the like, a'l fording a through passage, a plug valve infA terposed cross-wise of said passage to control the inlet, an attached back piece for the valve having'an integral apron section adapted to exteriorly close the through passage, and spring means concealed in the interior of the device tor retainingthe plug valve inthe assemblage.

y3. A closure for the'inlet of an automobile radiator, gasoline tank or the like, affording a through passage, a hollow` plug valve interposed cross-wise of said passage to controlk the inlet, and a spring disk washer supported within the hollow of the plug valve to retainsaid valve in the assemblage with fluid tight relation to its seat.

4. A closure for the inlet of an automobile radiator, gasoline tank or the like, at tording a through passage, a hollow plug valve interposed cross-wise of said passage to control the inlet, a stud projecting axially from the base of the valve bore through an aperture in the contiguous end wall ot the plug valve into the hollow of the latter, andV an associated spring disk washer tor retaining the respective parts in assemblage.

5. A closure for the inlet of an antoniobile radiator, gasoline tank or the like, attording a through passage, a hollow conical plug valve interposed cross-wise oit' said passage to control the inlet, a stud projecting axially from the base of the valve bore and through an aperture in the contigous end wall ot' the valve into the hollow ot the latter, a retaining means secured to the protruding end of the stud, and spring means interposed beneath the retaining means to maintain the valve in fluid-tight relation to its seat.

6. A closure for the inlet ofV an automobile radiator, gasoline tank or the like, attording a through passage, a hollow plug valve with diametr1call7 opposite ports to register with the through passage when the Valve is in open position and a third port intermediate the other two to establish communication between the radiator and the hollow ot the valve when the latter is in closed position, and provisions on the valve for attachment of a thermometer-tempera ture indicating instrument with the bulb end ot the thermometer exposed withinthe hollow interior ot' the valve.

7. A closure for the inlet of automobile radiators, gasoline tank or the like, a'tlording a through passage, a plug valve crosswise in said passage to control the inlet, a back piece attached to the plug valve having an integral inlet-closure portion and re leasable means to lock the plug valve in closed position including a spring latch secured to the valve casing and engaging a notch in the plug valve.

8. A closure for the inlet of an automobile radiator, gasoline tank or the like, atlording a through passage, a plug valve in terposed crosswise in said passage to control the inlet, a back piece attach-ed to the plug valve havingl an integral inlet-closure portion, a spring latch to lock the plug valve in closed position, and means for limiting the rotative movement ot the valve.

A closure for the inl-et of automobile radiators, gasoline tank or the like, affording a. through passage, a plug valve in said passage to control the inlet, releasable means to lock the plug valve in closed position including a spring latch secured to the valve casing and engaging a notch of the valve, and angularly spaced projections on the valve to engage a lug on the valve casing to determine the open and closed positions of said valve.

10. A closure for the inlet of an automobile radiator, gasoline tank or the like, atfording a filling opening and through passage, a hollow plug valve crosswise of said passage to control the inlet, and an apron plate cooperative with a portion of the plug valve to eXteriorly and interiorly close the lill-er opening of the closure when said valve is shut.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto signed our names at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this .21st day of April, 1924.

JEAN JACQUES.' ADOLPH yW. OSVVALD. 

